| Undercover officers bought about 34 pounds of bulk
marijuana.
WARREN — Robert Boone and his mother, Sharon Boone, pleaded
guilty to drug trafficking and corruption charges Friday after a day of
negotiations — resulting in a 30-month prison sentence for him and agreement
to turn over a Cadillac Escalade and $39,000 in cash and fines.
Robert D. Boone, 26, of 5339 Pierce Road, Champion, said by
authorities to be the main player in a drug dealing operation in central
Trumbull County, pleaded guilty in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to
seven charges, including marijuana trafficking and possession, and
attempting to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Judge Andrew Logan sentenced him to 30 months; he has been in jail since
February and will get credit for time served there.
Sharon Boone, 46, also of the Pierce Road address, pleaded guilty
to complicity to trafficking in marijuana and permitting drug abuse. She
will be sentenced after the county's Adult Probation Department conducts a
pre-sentence investigation.
Undercover agents from the Trumbull, Ashtabula, Geauga Counties Law
Enforcement Task Force either bought or made a down payment on 34 pounds
of marijuana from Robert Boone in three separate buys in 2005.
Chuck Morrow, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said Boone was
selling marijuana in bulk amounts. The value of the drugs confiscated would
have been between $34,000 and $68,000.
Using a search warrant, officers confiscated $18,800 in
cash from a safe in Boone's house, a handgun and other items, Morrow said.
Some $5,000 of that was money the undercover agents gave Boone to buy the
drugs.
Prosecutors had initially sought to confiscate the Pierce Road house but
dropped that during negotiations with Robert and Sharon Boone lasting much
of the afternoon.
By agreement, 75 percent of the cash and assets confiscated will be
turned over to TAG, with the remainder going to the prosecutor's office,
Morrow said. Forfeiture money of this type helps provide operating funds for
TAG.
Sharon Boone's convictions could result in probation or up to 30 months
in prison.
Two others plead guilty
Two other defendants in the yearlong investigation, dubbed Operation
Green Tree because task force members determined that they were interrupting
small criminal groups, or branches, with multiple ties to the Boone family,
have already pleaded guilty to various crimes.
Jason Washington, 31, of Terra Alta Street, Warren, is expected to
get a three-year prison sentence for drug trafficking charges and agreed to
pay a $10,000 fine and forfeit $4,030 in cash.
Robert Zadai, 26, of Shafer Road, Champion, pleaded guilty to drug
trafficking charges and agreed to forfeit a car. Prosecutors are
recommending a one-year prison sentence.
Cases are still pending against three other members of the drug ring.
runyan@vindy.com
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